Academic, moral education vital for national growth.

Takoradi, Oct. 15, GNA - Professor Doctor Daniel Buor, Provost of the College of Arts and Social Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, said any form of education that emphasises only academic excellence to the neglect of the moral and spiritual standards would fall short of the aspirations of society. "Academic excellence must combine with moral excellence to produce quality education", he said.

Prof. Buor was speaking at the opening of the 35th Annual Conference of Managers of Educational Units (COMEU) at Fijai near Sekondi on Wednesday. The conference was attended by about 80 delegates from across the country, and was on the theme, "The relevance of the educational units in the decentralized system". Prof. Buor pointed out that the present predicament in which society finds itself was due to moral decay and spiritual strangulation. He said armed robbery, drug abuse, examination malpractices, over-invoicing and under-invoicing among others, are the product signs of corruption.

He said low morality could affect the welfare of the masses, and that religious education units must focus on both the spiritual and moral aspects of education. Prof. Buor observed that the moral fibre of society has been weakening, and discipline deteriorating because churches had lost full autonomy in the administration of schools. He said the educational units as partners in the management of education, must be given increased autonomy to ensure the improvement of moral standards. Mr. Dave Anane Druyeh, National President of COMEU, said the new Education Act has made a number of provisions which seek to get the religious bodies and educational units more actively involved in the management and provision of education. He said apart from the religious bodies being the pacesetters in education, they continue to supplement government's efforts in education delivery. He said COMEU is committed to providing quality education for all, and urged delegates to come out with recommendations on the place of education units in the present decentralized system.